Transparency and bilateral partnerships were the key messages to emerge from the Franco-British Energy Conference in London, organized by the French Chamber of Commerce in Great-Britain.

Given the timely nature of the conference it was unsurprising that nuclear and affordability dominated the discussions.

Ed Davey, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, beamed throughout his speech; passionate that the UK’s Energy sector would be galvanized by Hinkley Point New Nuclear build and in turn, would lead to concrete orders for a significant number of British and French supply companies.

Vincent de Rivaz, CEO of EDF Energy, shown above, delivered a forceful speech on how EDF’s success at finally securing the go ahead for the build would benefit both the UK and France. He was also acutely aware of current public perception of the ‘Big 6’ energy companies – stressing the energy market as a whole needs to be more transparent and open with the consumer.

Many speakers highlighted the importance of mutual understanding and the appreciation of each others’ strengths and ways of conducting business in the context of the future supply chain. As I quoted: ‘When our peoples do understand each other, most of the time they agree.’

The skills gap, or at least the perceived skills gap, in the energy and engineering sector provoked a stimulating debate with wide agreement that more could be done to attract young people into the sector and develop their skills. Maggie Philbin suggested the Energy Sector needed to compete with X Factor! Industry needs to draw in the rich talent of students in our schools and universities, she said, and persuade them they could be the next leaders whether it is in nuclear or renewables.